What broadway play?

[NCteacherlovescruising]

28 minutes ago, KmomChicago said:

Okay we saw Beetlejuice at the Winter Garden tonight and it was perfect for us - keeping in mind we have an edgy teen who chose it. The talent is amazing. Great theatre too. Front row mezzanine has awesome leg room.

 

Can you see very good from there?

[KmomChicago]

6 hours ago, NCteacherlovescruising said:

 

Can you see very good from there?

 

See my photo below showing our perspective. Overall, yes, the view was excellent. My teen and I are short and I am cheap. We often have tall heads in front of us at many shows so we prefer front rows. However I’m too frugal to pay for center seats.

 

These were off to one side. Mezzanine Row A, seats 9, 11, and 13.  We were not very far from the stage, right next to the old opera boxes, which are no longer used for guest seats and would have a bad view due to all the infrastructure like speakers and lighting in front of them now. 

 

99% of the action took place upstage and we saw it all perfectly with no one to block us. We missed perhaps 3 downstage entrances that had people laughing but that was a small price to pay for the otherwise clear sight line.

 

It was an excellent hack for us as these were sold as $59 partially obstructed tickets, the lowest price point in the Winter Garden. Seat 7 next to us was much higher, double the price I believe for nearly the same view. I had found a website that lets people post a preshow pic of the view from their seat and I read a review of these specific seats before choosing them. 

 

Of course if money were no object, center seats would be slightly better, but then we’d also be a bit further from the stage.

 

This was was a summer Friday and I’m glad we just booked ahead rather than trying to get same day tix even cheaper as the show was almost sold out with only about 10 of the worst seats unsold. 

 

The scalloped front wall/rail in front of us really does provide incredible leg room. Stretching out my feet all the way, I couldn’t reach it and my husband was very comfortable. It was very easy for those in the front to get in and out if needed. 

 

As as for the show, it’s for people who like a lot of energy, don’t mind the occasional F bomb, want to laugh and keep things moving. Talent was incredible as you would expect on real Broadway-it’s kind of their thing after all. The full house was 💯 on our feet the moment the curtain fell. We loved it to a person.

 

Production quality was excellent. We see lots of community theatre and are accustomed to poor to fair to passable sound system quality. This was absolutely crystal clear. Sets, dancers, costumes, lighting and light effects all what you would expect from world class professionals. It was not as chilly as I expected in the theatre. Has a sweater but didn’t need it.

Edited August 3, 2019 by KmomChicago

[MarkBearSF]

11 hours ago, KmomChicago said:

The scalloped front wall/rail in front of us really does provide incredible leg room. Stretching out my feet all the way, I couldn’t reach it and my husband was very comfortable. It was very easy for those in the front to get in and out if needed.

Handy info to know, since I often avoid front row mezz since there is often little leg room in those bulkhead seats (I'm looking at you, Shubert!).

[George C]

3 hours ago, MarkBearSF said:

Handy info to know, since I often avoid front row mezz since there is often little leg room in those bulkhead seats (I'm looking at you, Shubert!).

Front row can be great and can suck depending theater.

[markeb]

4 minutes ago, George C said:

Front row can be great and can suck depending theater.

 

So true...

 

We've got first row of balcony center, on the aisle, next week at the Lyric for "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child" parts one and two. Fingers crossed. We bought them at the box office and the guy offered them as a "sweet spot" for pricing (i.e., good view, good seats, undervalued). We'll see...

[MarkBearSF]

2 hours ago, markeb said:

 

So true...

 

We've got first row of balcony center, on the aisle, next week at the Lyric for "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child" parts one and two. Fingers crossed.

In general, I'd feel optimistic. The Lyric always had pretty generous leg room before the HP remodel, ATG actually decreased seats to turn it into Hogwars (and they very generous in their restoration of the Hudson).

 

Edited August 4, 2019 by MarkBearSF

[KmomChicago]

6 hours ago, markeb said:

 

So true...

 

We've got first row of balcony center, on the aisle, next week at the Lyric for "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child" parts one and two. Fingers crossed. We bought them at the box office and the guy offered them as a "sweet spot" for pricing (i.e., good view, good seats, undervalued). We'll see...

 

I checked the site I used to research Winter Garden. No mention of leg room one way or another but it looks like a decent view. Some mention that distance from stage means you don’t see facial expressions but you have better perspective on the special effects. Top of bulkhead blocks orchestra audience but not stage, unlike some areas of the side balconies.

 

Commenters do say it’s a good value for the price. Enjoy and come back to let us know if you agree!!

[Turtles06]

17 hours ago, MarkBearSF said:

Handy info to know, since I often avoid front row mezz since there is often little leg room in those bulkhead seats (I'm looking at you, Shubert!).

 

13 hours ago, George C said:

Front row can be great and can suck depending theater.

 

Yup.  And not just for tall people either.  For us short folks, the railing and the actual "bulkhead" can block our view.  I had this problem just last week in the front row of the mezz at the CIBC Theatre in Chicago (seeing "Hamilton" for the third time 🙂).  If I sat back in my seat in a normal position, I could not see the stage.  Fortunately, there were a bunch of us going, and I swapped seats for the second row.  

[lenquixote66]

On 7/25/2019 at 10:07 PM, George C said:

Lenny , one of my buddies had a rent controlled 5 room apartment in park slope for about two hundred a month and walked away , wasn’t my brightest friend . So many great little Italian restaurants in Brooklyn. 

Friends of ours just returned from visiting a friend of his wife who lives in the Dallas area.Our friends grew up in Brooklyn and love pizza .Their friend took them to an Italian restaurant an hour away from Dallas that supposedly has the best Italian food in close proximity to where they live. 

[George C]

1 hour ago, lenquixote66 said:

Friends of ours just returned from visiting a friend of his wife who lives in the Dallas area.Our friends grew up in Brooklyn and love pizza .Their friend took them to an Italian restaurant an hour away from Dallas that supposedly has the best Italian food in close proximity to where they live. 

Most of the “Italian restaurants” in Dallas are run by Albanians , luckily we have a really good restaurant run by a Sicilian a couple of miles away. No really good Jewish delis ,but will be in Denver in a few weeks and they have a great one , there is a sign in front saying you are entering New York. 

[lenquixote66]

17 hours ago, George C said:

Most of the “Italian restaurants” in Dallas are run by Albanians , luckily we have a really good restaurant run by a Sicilian a couple of miles away. No really good Jewish delis ,but will be in Denver in a few weeks and they have a great one , there is a sign in front saying you are entering New York. 

The restaurant that our friends were taken to was in Athens,TX.

[sparkle]

On 7/21/2019 at 8:33 PM, lenquixote66 said:

The only play that I saw numerous times was The Fantasticks.I saw it in NY in the 60’s,in San Francisco in the 70’s and again in NY in 2007.

 

Lenquixote, I recently heard an interview with the author, Robert Viagas, and he mentioned a book he wrote "The Amazing Story of the Fantasticks".  I have requested DH get this book for me for my birthday, and I'll bet you would like it too!  When my sister and I were growing up, we always listened to our Mom's many original cast recording albums.. .Fiddler, My Fair Lady, West Side Story, Zorba, et al, and of course The Fantasticks (my sister and I worked up a very well received duet on "Try to Remember", with our hairbrush microphones😆 follow, follow, follow).  DH and I saw The Fantasticks at the Jerry Orbach Theater Off Broadway in early 2017.  I can't believe it took me that long, but you know how it is in NYC, so many great shows, so little time!

 

Robert Viagas seems to be quite the prolific writer, and has written 19 books about the theater, including the Playbill Yearbooks.  Another book of his that I requested was "The Back Stage Guide Broadway",  which is supposed to have info on the seats, (comfort and legroom, he says he is a large fellow), obstructed views, etc., for the NYC theaters.  When I receive it I will give you all a report.  

 

I did not realize my Mom had never seen a Broadway show!  It was in the mid 80's when I found that out, and took her to see a touring production of Cats at the local theater. She loved it, and I offered to get her tickets to any show that came through (I was living on the west coast by then), but she never went to another one before she passed away.  But she left me with a love of theater music, and of course, live theater!   Thanks, Mom!

[lenquixote66]

5 minutes ago, sparkle said:

 

Lenquixote, I recently heard an interview with the author, Robert Viagas, and he mentioned a book he wrote "The Amazing Story of the Fantasticks".  I have requested DH get this book for me for my birthday, and I'll bet you would like it too!  When my sister and I were growing up, we always listened to our Mom's many original cast recording albums.. .Fiddler, My Fair Lady, West Side Story, Zorba, et al, and of course The Fantasticks (my sister and I worked up a very well received duet on "Try to Remember", with our hairbrush microphones😆 follow, follow, follow).  DH and I saw The Fantasticks at the Jerry Orbach Theater Off Broadway in early 2017.  I can't believe it took me that long, but you know how it is in NYC, so many great shows, so little time!

 

Robert Viagas seems to be quite the prolific writer, and has written 19 books about the theater, including the Playbill Yearbooks.  Another book of his that I requested was "The Back Stage Guide Broadway",  which is supposed to have info on the seats, (comfort and legroom, he says he is a large fellow), obstructed views, etc., for the NYC theaters.  When I receive it I will give you all a report.  

 

I did not realize my Mom had never seen a Broadway show!  It was in the mid 80's when I found that out, and took her to see a touring production of Cats at the local theater. She loved it, and I offered to get her tickets to any show that came through (I was living on the west coast by then), but she never went to another one before she passed away.  But she left me with a love of theater music, and of course, live theater!   Thanks, Mom!

My love of the theater comes from one of my fathers relatives who was an actor and my cousin the actress Marilyn Michaels.

I began going to live theater in 1965 .In my opinion it is the greatest form of acting.I had the honor of meeting Jerry Orbach in 1998.He was one of the truly nice people not just as an actor but in every respect.

[lenquixote66]

Next Wednesday we are going to see the play about The Temptations. Next month Wicked and To Kill A Mockingbird and In November Moulin Rouge.

[markeb]

Reporting back on "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child" at the Lyric.

 

My wife and I had tickets in the first row of the balcony last Thursday and Friday (Parts 1 & 2 are either same day on Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday at 2:00 and 7:30 or Thursday and Friday at 7:30). The box office was definitely right; they were great seats. No, we didn't have great views of facial expressions, but we could see the entire stage, and there are activities that fill the theater.

 

Without saying much (or anything, really) the play begins immediately after the Epilogue of The Deathly Hallows, or the last scene of the movie. It's certainly heavily slanted to Harry Potter fans, but it's a very well done play. We're both mid to late 50's, no kids, but my wife is a teacher. Most of her time teaching she's taught 3rd and 4th grades, so yes, in the late 90's early 2000's (until the present) she taught 11 year olds who were waiting for their letter from Hogwarts...  Yes, we've read all the books and seen all the movies. My wife had read the Cursed Child script; I hadn't.

 

We really enjoyed it. You would really have to be an uber fan or have no time at all to sit through both parts in the same day; each part is about 2 1/2 hours with intermission. The Lyric was very comfortable, and they have a wonderful at seat ordering system for snacks and drinks (order before the show and have your popcorn/water/soda/chocolate frog delivered at the beginning of intermission).

[Nitemare]

15 hours ago, lenquixote66 said:

Next Wednesday we are going to see the play about The Temptations. Next month Wicked and To Kill A Mockingbird and In November Moulin Rouge.

 

Good, better, best, and my condolences!  🙂

 

We've got Hamilton (again) and Hadestown over Labor Day, and the new Little Shop of Horrors and Freestyle Love Supreme in early November.  And "Six" is starting here in Cambridge next week, before it moves to B'way in 2020, so we are seeing that soon.  Hoping for great things!

[lenquixote66]

11 hours ago, Nitemare said:

 

Good, better, best, and my condolences!  🙂

 

We've got Hamilton (again) and Hadestown over Labor Day, and the new Little Shop of Horrors and Freestyle Love Supreme in early November.  And "Six" is starting here in Cambridge next week, before it moves to B'way in 2020, so we are seeing that soon.  Hoping for great things!

We belong to a theater club . We have not paid yet for Moulin Rouge.i am making the assumption that we will go but we have till Aug.29 to pay.

[Nitemare]

It's a spectacle, but there's no "there" there.  Just a huge amount of artificial sweetener, amazing sets and good costumes.

 

If you *do* go, it's worth getting there early to admire the set and there is some "action" prior to the show starting that is interesting to watch.

 

Attached is a picture we took in Boston last summer.   We were in the Mezz, dead center, pretty low.

[sparkle]

On 8/14/2019 at 3:18 PM, lenquixote66 said:

Next Wednesday we are going to see the play about The Temptations. Next month Wicked and To Kill A Mockingbird and In November Moulin Rouge.

I hope you enjoy Ain't Too Proud as much as we did!  We have seen Wicked 3 times with various kids/grandkids over the years, and it's always great. I end up singing/humming "Defying Gravity" and "For Good" for weeks afterward😁

 

[lenquixote66]

28 minutes ago, sparkle said:

I hope you enjoy Ain't Too Proud as much as we did!  We have seen Wicked 3 times with various kids/grandkids over the years, and it's always great. I end up singing/humming "Defying Gravity" and "For Good" for weeks afterward😁

 

We saw Prom a few weeks ago. I did not expect to like it but loved it.I do not expect to like Ain’t too Proud. I hope I love it too. 

[Turtles06]

3 hours ago, sparkle said:

I end up singing/humming "Defying Gravity" and "For Good" for weeks afterward😁

 

Those are two great songs, and ear worms! 😄

[George C]

Does anyone buy soundtracks to musicals, I don’t buy many but a few, love the song from a few years ago “poison in my pocket “ from a gentleman guide to love and murder. Was in a small group asking questions of cast after the show

[Turtles06]

10 minutes ago, George C said:

Does anyone buy soundtracks to musicals

 

I don't buy "soundtracks," but I do buy cast recordings.  😃 (Sorry, it's a pet peeve of mine.  Soundtracks are for movies. 😄)

 

I'm a total show tunes junkie.  My iTunes is very heavy on musicals.   I collect some musicals in other languages.  Les Miz, for example, has been recorded by the casts from many non-English-speaking countries.  I think the music is so gorgeous, it doesn't matter whether you know exactly what they are singing.  

[markeb]

22 minutes ago, Turtles06 said:

 

I don't buy "soundtracks," but I do buy cast recordings.  😃 (Sorry, it's a pet peeve of mine.  Soundtracks are for movies. 😄)

 

Some. Cats, Le Mis, and more recently, Come From Away, and, of course Hamilton!

[Turtles06]

45 minutes ago, markeb said:

 

Some. Cats, Le Mis, and more recently, Come From Away, and, of course Hamilton!

 

If I'd been listening to Hamilton on vinyl, I would have worn out several copies by now! 🙂